Cruise on the Bosphorus

A leisurely cruise along the fabulous Bosphorus, starting near the Black Sea and taking us past Ottoman palaces, wooden 19th-century waterfront mansions, modern pleasure palaces and fortresses. The perfect opportunity for taking photographs along both shores of this fabled waterway.

GOLDEN HORN (from the bus)

The arm of the Bosphorus and a natural harbor of the historical peninsula separating the old and the new parts of İstanbul where the first colonies settled during the Byzantine. The residential area for Byzantine Jews, Italian traders, and other non-muslim minorities. Drive along the traces of history at Balat viewing Metal Church of St. Stephen the Bulgarian, 21 km. long City Walls (from the bus), the strongest fortification of the middle age.

SPICE BAZAAR

It is located at Eminonu behind the New Mosque(Valide Sultan Mosque).It was constructed by Turhan Sultan in 1660 as a pious foundation attached to New Mosque.

BOSPHORUS ON BOAT

A traditional excursion by boat along the waterway separating Europe and Asia. The shore is lined with old wooden villas, palaces of marble, fortresses, and small fishing villages. During the excursion, you will pass the magnificent Dolmabahce Palace, and further along, the parks and imperial pavillions of Yildiz Palace. On the coastal edge of this park, is Ciragan Palace, 300 meters of is marble facade faces the shore. At Ortakoy a great variety of artists gather every Sunday to display their work along the street. Ortakoy is a symbol of tolerance with a church, a mosque and a synagogue existing side by side for centuries.

RUMELI FORTRESS (from the sea/no interior visit)

Historical armament built by the Conqueror to control and protect Bosphorus. A unique example of military architecture.